Game apparatus



y 29, 1952 L. v. WILSON 3,036,833

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1960 LOYAL V WILSON INVENTOR.

BY A rr'v United States Patent 3,036,833 GAME APPARATUS Loyal V. Wilson,Rte. 1, Box 37, Tangent, Oreg. Filed Jan. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 262 1 Claim.(Cl. 273-103) This invention relates generally to game apparatus and oneof its objects is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for playinga game involving both skill and chance.

More particularly, the invention has reference to that class of gamedevices or apparatus in which balls, marbles and the like are projectedby being thrown or tossed into receiving compartments of relative fixedvalue, and in which means is also included for returning the playedprojectiles to a player or players where the scored value of all theprojectiles allowed to the player can be almost instantly read andchecked up and so that the playing operations may be convenientlyrepeated.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a game apparatus of thecharacter described a combined arrangement of pockets or compartmentshaving a targetlike arrangement of unlike scoring values, and meanssuperjacen-t the pockets to deflect a tossed projectile (ball) from anindented pocket unless skillfully and accurately tossed.

Further objects and purposes of the invention include a simple, durableand inexpensive construction, easily disassembled to be put away whennot in use, readily, simply and quickly set up for playing, and whereinthe target arrangement can be conveniently adjusted into variouselevated positions relative to a players stand whereby greater or lessskill will be required in tossing the projectile at a proper trajectoryfor entering the target compartments.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my game apparatus shown as set up foruse.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of FIGURE 1 on anenlarged scale.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail view on an enlarged scale takenapproximately along the line 33 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional end elevational view takenapproximately along the line 4-4 of FIG URE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational view of FIGURE 4.

With continuing reference to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate like parts, reference numeral 1 indicates generallythe target arrangement, which comprises a vertical rear wall 2, adownwardly and rearwardly inclined front wall 3, downwardly and inwardlyconverging side walls 4 and 5, and similarly converging partition walls6 and 7 to provide chutes 8, 9 and 10. This target assembly can beconveniently attached to a wall 12 or other suitable supporting surfacein vertically adjusted positions relative thereto by means of anelongated bracket 13 secured as at 14 to the back wall 2, and providedwith key-slots 15 engageable with a screw 16, nail or the like driveninto the wall 12.

The rear wall 2 extends above the front and side walls 3, 4 and 5 asshown and this extended area is provided with openings 8A, 9A and 10Adirectly above the chutes 8, 9 and 10. Each opening is backed by acovering of cloth or fabric 20 or any other suitable non-resilientmaterial adapted to cushion the impact of a tossed'ball and thus causeit to fall into the corresponding subjacent chute. An inaccuratelytossed ball, striking any of the frame-like members 21 which define theopenings, would, of course, rebound in unpredictable directions and anyscoring which might result therefrom would be purely a game of chance.

Hingedly attached as at 25 (FIGURES 2, 5 and 6) to the bottom of therear wall 2 is one end of a ball-return table indicated generally at 26provided throughout its length with tracks in the form of grooves 27, 28and 29, and supported at its opposite end by a pair of hingedly attachedlegs 30, preferably rubber-tipped as at 31. For

convenience in disassembling the game apparatus for storing or shipping,the hinges 25 are provided with keyslots 35 by means of which they, andhence the table 26, can be detached from pins 36 carried by the backwall 2 of the target assembly *1.

Matching the grooves 27, 28 and 29 at the hingedly supported end of thetable 26 are three inverted semicircular openings 40, 41 and 42 whichprovide gravitational outlets for the balls 43 from any of the chutes 8,9 or 10.

It will be noted in FIGURES 2 and 4 that the bot-tom ends of thepartition walls 6 and 7 terminate in a plane above the corresponding endof the table 26 to provide a space 45 within which a ball or ballsdropped from the chutes will be free to bounce around in anunpredictable manner until gravitating into one of the grooves 27--29and finally coming to rest at the players end of the table where thescore can be computed by the values applied to the ends of the groovesas shown in FIGURE 1. Thus an accurately tossed ball even after strikingthe intended one of the cloth covered openings 8A, 9A and 10A anddropping into the corresponding chute therebelow is thereafter out ofcontrol while bouncing about within the space 45 and until it finallysettles into one of the grooves 27-29 and rolls out to the scorecomputing end of the table 26 at the players end.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention I amaware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves toothers skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Having thus described my invention what I claim as newand desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A ball game apparatus comprising in combination a target arrangementhaving a plurality of vertically disposed chutes open at their top andbottom ends and defined by a downwardly and rearwardly inclined frontwall, a vertical rear wall, downwardly converging side walls anddownwardly converging partition walls intermediate said side walls, saidpartition walls terminating at their bottom ends on a plane above thebottom ends of said side walls, whereby to provide an uninterruptedspace below and across the bottom of said chutes, said rear wall beingco-extensive in width with the spacing between the top ends of said sidewalls and extending above the top end of said chutes and having a numberof openings therethrough matching the number of and 3,036,833 3 a 4vertically aligned with said chutes, non-elastic flexible space as itgravitates into said one end of the ball-return coverings closing saidopenings whereby a. tossed ball t b1 striking any one of said coveringswill fall into the chute in vertical alignment with the covering sostruck, a ball- References Cited in the file of this patent return tableattached at one of its ends to said rear Wall 5 of the tar-getarrangement and in open communication UNITED STATES PATENTS at that endwith the space below said bottom ends of 4 54 Dixon Jan. 16, 1923 saidchutes whereby said space will permit of uncon- ,53 55 Russell Mar. 31,1925 trolled and unpredictable bouncing of a ball within said ,5 7,171Huttlin July 28, 1925

